Blood is Thicker Than Water
by FriedPeaches
Summary: When the boys of Ipswich first meet Samantha Collins, most of them find her normal - unlike Caleb. Something about Samantha makes his skin itch and crawl. It doesn't take long for all of them to figure out what Chase's dark intentions are, however, they're unsure if Samantha embraces the very same intentions that will destroy them all. ?/OC {I haven't decided who she ends up with}
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Itched into a memory

Samantha's heavy duffel bag was dropped to the floor after entering her dorm room. Both sides of the room were empty. There were no sheets on either mattresses, and each dresser was cleared off – slowly collecting dust. Her two suitcases that were shipped days before she arrived to Spencer Academy laid on the floor next to her bed. Dragging her duffel bag and tossing it on top of the bare mattress, she began to unpack the two suitcases. Each article of clothing smelled of mint leaves and a hint of hazel. Samantha brought the shirt to her nose and inhaled deeply – remembering her home, adoptive parents, and the life that she had before... She grabbed more articles of clothes to fold, and put them away. It didn't take long, maybe ten minutes, before finishing up. Whatever school supplies she had, she laid on the desk that the school had provided. She also laid two small shoe boxes containing photos on the desk.

Her fingers ran over the edge of one box.

__It's too soon__, she thought.

Samantha pulled her hand from the box of memories and turned her attention to the duffel bag on the bed. The bag remained packed. She snatched the bag and slid it under the bed.

The next suitcase to be unpacked contained any decorations that would be placed on her desk, dresser and night stand. Things such as origami cranes that her and her mother made in spare time, small wooden animals that her dad carved, and then the photography pictures that she had taken. A jar of river rocks were set down next to the stainless steel lamp that was on the nightstand. It was hard not to think about that day at the river. It was the day when she saw a black bear for the first time in person. It was a beautiful creature. His deep brown eyes is what Samantha remember the most and his fur. It looked so soft. She sighed and went back to unpacking.

Once she was done, Samantha glanced at the clock and saw that she had about forty-five minutes 'til her first class began. A neat stack of clothes that was mailed to her days before, laid on her white and pink quilt. She took off her favorite red floral blouse and blue jeans to slip on the school uniform. As she did, she wondered where her brother was placed in the boys' dorms and if she was even able to visit on that side of the building. Her hand fished out her iPhone from her bag and for a moment, she stared at her brother's name under her contact list. Since she didn't want to be the annoying little sister, she threw the phone back into the bag.

She grabbed any supplies that was needed to survive the first day of a new school into her leather shoulder bag. Samantha tried swallowing to her uneasy nerves and thought about holding her head high as she left the room to search for her class. However, that attempt soon went down in flames.

When Caleb first saw her, she was standing under one of the many maples that surrounded Spencer Academy. Her thin, piano fingers held a piece of paper as she chewed at her bottom lip that was a soft pink. Caleb studied the petite figure as she would flip to the back of the paper and then the front. Then the back and again, she flipped back to the front. Her skin was pale – lacking the tan that every girl had or was after. Half of her messy chestnut brown hair was pulled up in the pony tail while the rest laid past her shoulders. Just like every other girl, she wore the school's uniform. She could have easily blended into the crowd if it wasn't for her shoes. The flats she wore were a mustard yellow. They were hard to miss. Beneath her feet was a rug of reds, browns, and golds. She kicked the colorful leaves and huffed in defeat. Her blue eyes that bluntly showed uncertainty trailed up to the school's entrance.

She was obviously new and lost.

Caleb picked up his feet and headed her way. When he reached the girl, her eyes were glued at the paper again. Now that he was closer Caleb discovered that she was looking at a map of the school.

Yeah, she was most __definitely __new.

"Lost?" he asked after she hadn't noticed him standing next to her.

Her head snapped up instantly, eyes widened. "Huh?"

He chuckled. "I asked if you were lost," Caleb explained, tapping the paper with a finger.

She glanced at the paper one more time as her 'deer-in-headlights' expression dissolved away. A small huff that seemed almost like a laugh came from her before she looked back at Caleb. "Yeah," she admitted.

"What's your first class?"

Flipping the paper over, she replied, "English with Mr. McAdam."

Caleb's eyebrows rose slightly as a warm smile grew on his lips "You actually have class with me. Come on, I'm heading there now. Just follow me." He motioned for her to follow and then he made his way to the two large wooden doors. The girl quickly shove the paper in her shoulder bag and chased after him. "I'm Caleb by the way," he said when he opened a door and held it for her.

The girl nodded her thanks as she walked through the opened doorway and smiled with pink cheeks. "Hi, I'm Samantha," she replied with a sweet smile appearing across her lips.

Due to her small size and soft tone of voice, Caleb couldn't help but think she was a cute girl. She was short and tiny. And when he means tiny, he means __tiny__. She weighed a hundred pounds at most. "Did you just get here?"

Samantha nodded. "Yeah, about two hours ago."

"If you got here not too long ago, I'm sure the school would understand you not going to class today. Have you even had time to unpack or anything?" Caleb questioned curiously as the two of them strolled down the corridor. Passing students gave Samantha sideways glances before continuing to their class. By the way Samantha chewed at her bottom lip, it was obvious that the students' stares made her nervous and self-conscience.

"Uh," she began, hopefully hiding the jitteriness from her voice. "No, I'm fine. I rather not delay going to class. I'm already coming in late the semester and I don't want to get behind in work."

Caleb smiled at the girl before nodding. When the two of them walked into the English classroom, Caleb spotted the sons of Ipswich. The three of them sat together. Next to Pogue was an empty – obviously saved for Caleb. Pogue's eye landed on Caleb. With a small lift of his hand, he waved. That's when Pogue attention fell on Samantha. He saw him take in Samantha's features before his eyes formed a questioning stare. Beside him, Tyler, and Reid both gave the same look as Pogue. Caleb turned to Samantha. "Just ask Mr. McAdam for your textbook and you can sitt next to me and my friends if you would like to," Caleb offered. Samantha nodded before heading to the teacher's desk. Caleb jogged up the small flight of stairs that led to his seat next to Pogue.

Caleb dropped his bag to the floor before he settled in his chair. "So who's she?" Pogue asked as he watched the new girl speak to their teacher.

"Her name is Samantha. Just transferred in," Caleb explained.

A chuckle came out of Reid's mouth. "I'm not usually attracted to brunettes," he jokingly threw into the conversation as he was dozing in and out of sleep. "Blondes are better." Pogue just simply rolled his eyes and lightly hit Reid on the shoulder.

"Damn, she's a tiny thing," Tyler commented as Samantha turned from the teacher and began to make her way up the stairs. When she reached Caleb's row, she smiled at his friends.

"Hi," she greeted the boys.

"This is Pogue." Caleb said and Pogue gave Samantha a hey. Caleb continued. "He's Reid and that's Tyler." Reid made a peace sign while leaning back in his chair and took in for of her features. Tyler wave a little and went back to taking notes. Samantha giggled at Reid before sitting down next to Caleb just as the teacher began class.

Caleb didn't want to think much of it, however, as she sat next to him, their arms almost touching, there was something about Samantha. It was something that made his natural instincts squirm up and under his skin. He couldn't place his finger on it and wondered if these feelings would make sense.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Chase

Samantha couldn't help but feel anxious when her first day of school threw a group of guys at her. It made the day a little nicer, but it still, for some reason, made her uneasy. Maybe it was the fact that her stepparents' passing, Arthur and Gillian Collins. They both had narrow faces and showed age with the crow's feet that they had when they smiled. Samantha swallowed hard, trying to push any sorrow away. She couldn't get upset now in class. Redirecting her mind away from her parents, she looked down at the little notes that she had written. The bell suddenly rang and class was released. Samantha followed Caleb and his three friends out into the hallways just before she felt her phone vibrate. She snatched her phone from her bag to see a text from Chase.

She smiled before opening it.

__Ditch class with me? __

Samantha turned to Caleb. "Hey, Caleb?" His eyes fell on her. "You said the school would be cool with me missing class since I just got here this morning, right?"

He flashed a smile at her. "Trying to ditch already?"

"Maybe…" she admitted, nibbling at her bottom lip.

"You should be good," he laughed.

Reid suddenly peaked his head in. "You're leaving us already?"

Samantha shrugged and quickly texted her brother back.

__OMG Please lol__

"I'll see you guys tomorrow?" Samantha said, looking up from her phone.

"That…or you could come to the party just off the cliffs tonight. The whole school is going to be there," Reid suggested and her eyes lit up.

"Free booze? Yeah, totally count me in," she told them with a smile.

"Hell yeah!" Pogue agreed and Samantha gave her phone to Caleb.

He looked at her confused for a moment. "Can you put your number in and send me directions? I have no idea how to get there," she asked. He put his number into her contacts and handed it back to her. "Thanks. I'll text you soon." She threw her phone into the pocket of her jacket before telling them all bye.

As soon as Samantha was out of hearing distances, Pogue bumped Caleb's shoulder with a fist. "Did you not see that reverse psychology shit?" he asked, snickering at Caleb. Caleb gave his friend an odd look and received a dull expression. "Dude, she got you to give your number to her."

Tyler joined Pogue's laughs and Caleb couldn't help grin before shaking his head. Reid rolled his eyes as he strolled away from the group.

There was another text from Chase.

__Meet me in the woods behind the dorms.__

It didn't take long for Samantha to make it across campus and into the woods. When Chase's figure first came into view, she saw that he too was wearing the school uniform. "Sammie," he greeted her and threw his arm around her shoulders. "Please tell me you already think this place blows too?" She went to playfully shove her brother, but he simply caught her arm. "Come on, sis," he whined jokingly and pulled her into a halfway hug. He began to pull her deeper into the woods. He knew she loved nature and was always up for a walk.

"So do you actually hate it here so far?" Samantha asked him and pulled away. "I think it's really pretty here."

He shrugged. "Yeah. I guess I'm just ready to graduate," he confessed and lightly nudged her shoulder. "Then we can finally leave everything behind. Just the two of us."

"Yeah, same here." She gave her brother a big smile and nudged his shoulder back. "So, there's going to be a party tonight that the whole school is going to. It's near the cliffs. Some guy told from class and his friend said he would text me the directions. Wanna go?"

Chase turned to his sister with a surprised expression. "My baby sister is already socializing? And with __guys__?!" Samantha blushed at his teasing tone and punched him in the shoulder. A large grin was across his face as he pushed back. "Yeah, I'll go. Just let me know when it is and I'll meet you there."

When Samantha got back to the dorm, she sat her bag on the bed and went to her dresser to find the outfit for tonight's party. The sun had already set behind the trees a couple hours ago. She and Chase had spent hours together before splitting for dinner.

She threw on black leggings, brown suede ankle boots, and an open stitched sweater that was an oatmeal color. Underneath the see-through sweater, Samantha wore a lavender colored long line bralette. Around her neck was a plain black choker that had a gold crescent moon on it.

Her chestnut hair was in soft waves and nearly reached her butt.

The makeup that she put on was natural and showed off her high rosy cheekbones.

Grabbing her keys to her navy Toyota RAV4, she threw her the straps of her purse over hers shoulders. She exited the dorms and texted Chase that she was on the way. Nervousness bubbled in the pit of her stomach when she pulled out of the school and drove a few miles before turning off onto a secluded road. Part of her wanted to go, but part of her didn't. She was new and nobody liked to be that person who stands off alone, observing the party. Luckily, she had Chase.

A bit of the nervousness faded away, but it still lingered.

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is so short! The next one is going to a lot longer. Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think about the sorry so far!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Annual Spenser Party

When Samantha made it to the party, she checked her phone to see that Chase hadn't texted her back. But there was a text from Caleb.

**'Hey we're here. Are you still coming?'**

Samantha looked up from her phone and scanned the crowd. There was a large bonfire and students were around it to keep warm while they danced with each other. Not too far from them was a table with drinks.

She quickly texted Caleb back before heading to the table.

**'I'll be where they're serving drinks'**

There were two guys in charge of the table. One was giving out the drinks while the other was there chatting with him. "Hey." Samantha smiled, trying to hide any nervousness. "I'm Aaron," he said with a flirtatious smile in return and handed her a red solo cup. Mentally cringing, she accepted the drink. She just met him, but she was already getting creepy vibes off of him.

Samantha was about to thank him but was cut off by Caleb's voice. "Hey, Samantha!" She saw Aaron's face drop to irritation and his friendliness was suddenly gone.

"Hey," she greeted the four men as they scrolled up to the table.

"I'm glad you made it," Caleb said and eyed Aaron for a brief moment.

Reid threw an arm around Samantha's shoulders with a large grin, nearly making her spill her drink. "How's it going, short stuff?" She quickly recovered her balanced and playfully shrugged him off.

"You can call me short stuff, but don't spill my alcohol," she lightly threatened while pointing at the blonde. Reid threw his hands in the air while the rest snickered.

"These your friends, sweetheart?" Aaron asked, ruining the moment.

Samantha's eyes went back to Aaron. "My name isn't sweetheart," she replied before handing each guy a drink from the table. "Thanks for the drinks though." She took another one for herself and turned away with a drink in both hands. "You guys ready to be anywhere else but here?"

"Seeing as you're a bitch, I would say these are your friends then," Aaron noted with a venom under his tone.

"Isn't Kira looking for you?" Caleb added in and Samantha gladly took a large gulp as tension filled the air. "You know, your girlfriend?"

Just as Aaron's face turned red and he was about to respond, Samantha put a hand on Caleb's shoulder. "Come on. Not everyone can take rejection well," she told him and his expression morphed into amusement. She turned away, not listening to Aaron's reaction, and finishing off her first beer.

"Beer pong?" Pogue suggested and everyone agreed.

Once again, Reid draped an arm over Samantha's shoulders. "I think I'm going to like having you around," he commented as she held tightly onto her drink. "You handled Aaron beautifully by the way."

She smiled and took another sip of her beer. "I try."

When they reached an empty table, Pogue and Reid began getting the cups. "I'll be the referee since there's five of us," Tyler volunteered. "And when Kate gets here we can rotate?"

"Yeah, that's cool," Pogue shrugged.

"Who's Kate?" Samantha asked with a confused tone.

Pogue smiled. "My girlfriend." He slid the last cup in place before filling it with beer. "Alright, let's get started. Who's on my team? Caleb?"

"Sounds good to me," Reid butted in and stepped next to Samantha. "I don't mind teaching the newbie some tricks."

Samantha rolled her eyes and put her cup down in the sand. "I don't need your help, blondie."

Reid looked around confused. "Did you just call me 'blondie'?"

"Would it be better if I called you 'Gerard Way'?"

Reid narrowed his eyes. "Are you making fun of the lead singer of My Chemical Romance? You know one of the best bands…?"

She narrowed her eyes back at him and then eyed his finger-less black gloves with a smirk. "You would be a fan…" she laughed.

After a few rounds, both of teams were tied.

2 - 2

"Alright, it's sudden death," Reid whispered to Samantha. "So you know, no pressure or anything."

She rolled her eyes and got in place.

As soon as the ball left her fingers, she mentally crossed her fingers for luck.

But of course, the little plastic ball bounced off the edge.

Great. How embarrassing…

Pogue and Caleb high-fived in victory as Reid began chuckling.

"Don't need my help?" Reid asked and Samantha grabbed the cup with color growing on her cheeks.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm a little rusty," Samantha said and began chugging the beer. She eyed the empty solo cups and tried to calculate how many beers she has had. Probably 4 or 5….plus the 2 in the beginning…So 6 or 7 in total. Her head was beginning to feel a little fuzzy. Just a little bit tipsy.

To be able to drive back, she decided this was going to be the last game for her.

"Ready for another-"

From behind Samantha, a girl's voice over powered the music."Babe!"

A tall slender girl wrapped her arms around Pogue's neck. Samantha admired her long black hair and milk chocolate hued skin. She was very beautiful. Another girl walked up with her. She was also slender like her friend. She was fair skinned and had golden blonde hair.

"Hey," he smiled at her. The two quickly kissed and Pogue turned to Samantha. "Kate, this is Samantha. She's the new student in our class I told you about."

Kate smiled. "Hi," she waved and Samantha smiled back. "This is my new roommate, Sarah. She's new here too." Kate turned to the boys. "This Pogue Parry, Tyler Simms, Reid Garwin,-"

Reid leans over to extend his hand towards Sarah. "Garwin. Reid Garwin." They shook hands. "Good evening."

Samantha tried to hide her smile as Reid tried to 'smoothly' hit on the new girl. "Good evening," she replied.

'Oh God, I can't take this anymore,' Samantha thought with the smile still on her lips. The bonfire that was a little over 10 feet away, looked inviting as the night became colder. She mentally kicked herself for not wearing warmer clothes.

Through the noise and music a high pitch ring began to echo in her ears and her world began to feel a little…off. It was hard for Samantha to put her finger on what she was feeling. She felt nauseous and off balance. Maybe she drank more than she remembered? No. Samantha knew she wasn't much of a light weight when it came to drinking. Majority of the nights that she went out drinking, there was no need for her brother's help or anyone's help.

Why was tonight different? Maybe it was her nerves.

Suddenly she heard Caleb get shoved and she saw the same jerks from the drink table- Aaron and his friend. He was also with a girl who Samantha guessed to his girlfriend. Then her brother popped in between Caleb and Aaron, trying defuse the situation.

Samantha glanced around with confusion. What the hell did she just miss? Why are they fighting? And where the hell did Chase come from? How long did she zone out for?

He smiled at Aaron and glanced at the redheaded girl. "You were kind of being bitchy."

Then out of nowhere, Aaron's friend vomited onto the back of his jacket. _Great._ Samantha suddenly felt sicker and turned away. Again, she didn't know why. She wasn't squeamish or anything.

"Hey, you okay?" Tyler asked after he saw Samantha's sudden movement. She embarrassingly covered her mouth just in case and then gave him a thumbs up with her other hand

"Yep. I'm fine," she tried to play off. "I just don't like seeing vomit…"

Tyler laughed. "Who does?"

When she looked back to the group, Chase's eyes were on her. Before she could greet him, the music cuts off and a voice comes over the speakers "Guys! Dylan just called. He said he saw three cop cars headed this way on Old Dell Road!" Teenagers around them began yelling and running to their vehicles. The four boys, Kate, Sarah, and Chase began to follow and Samantha trailed behind them.

"You need a ride?" Pogue asked Kate on the way to their cars.

"No, Sarah drove us out here," she replied as he hugged her small frame.

"I could use a lift," Chase popped in and Kate agreed. Chase then gracefully turns around to face Samantha and begins to walk backwards. "How's it going, sis?"

"'Sis'?" All four boys said together as everyone glanced back to her with a surprised expression.

She smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. This is my brother, Chase. We-"

"We're twins," he cut in. "Well, fraternal twins.

Caleb extended his hand to shake Chase's. "Caleb."

"Thought that guy and I were about to go at it. His friend's puking sure came at an opportune time," Chase laughed and Samantha slid back out of everyone's attention - which she didn't mind.

Reid threw his arms around Tyler's shoulder and cheekily replied, "Didn't it, though?"

Samantha eyed the two and kept following them. Just as the four boys started to climb into a black Hummer, Samantha fished out her keys. "Hey, Chase. I'll see you later. I have to stop by the store on the way back to the dorm," she told him as he came up to her.

"You good to drive?" He asked with a bit of concern on his face. "It looked like you weren't feeling good a minute ago."

Samantha smiled at her brother's worry and quickly hugged him. He's always been a kind brother, but lately, after their parents' passing, he's been checking on her more than usual. "Yeah, I'm good." She glanced back at the two girls that were getting in an old white Volkswagen and then back to him. "Don't want to be a cockblock."

Both her and Chase brought their fists up to fist-bump. "You're the best."

She shrugged and began to walk away with her twirling the keys in her hands. "I try." She waved at the car full of guys. Tyler watched her for a moment before Reid pulled his attention away.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - The Figure in the Shadows

When Samantha was back in her SUV, she quickly pulls out of there just before there were any cops were in sight. She could hear the sirens in the distance getting closer and began to grow nervous. At first she couldn't tell if they were behind or in front of her. Samantha pressed harder on the gas pedal. At this moment, she was very thankful for having a vehicle that could handle the bumpy dirt road at a higher speed than Sarah's car. Hopefully, both girls and Chase would have enough time to escape.

Suddenly there was a fork in the road.

Oh, FUCK.

Without pausing, Samantha went right.' God, I hope I'm right. I can't remember which way I came from,' she thought. After about ten minutes, the road never ended or merged on Old Dell's Road or any other paved road. She stopped in the middle of the road and nervously glanced around. There was no place for her to turn her vehicle around. So, she would have to keep driving.

Samantha didn't move though. Something felt off again. And then the ringing in her ears came back. Turning off the RAV4 and headlights, she let her head fall back against the headrest. She let herself breathe deeply couple times to regain herself. At this point she knew it wasn't the alcohol. She started to feel better when they all were walking back to the cars. Now the feelings just suddenly came back.

Samantha felt hot and uncomfortable and quickly threw her seat belt off to get out of the SUV. The cold air hit her flushed skin. She audibly sighed in relief as she leaned back against a nearby tree. The ringing began to dissipate, but the feeling of uneasiness still bubbled in the back of her throat. It felt uncomfortable to swallow and there was a heaviness in her chest, making it hard to breathe. Sweat glistened on her skin and made the clothes lightly stick to her.

Maybe she's having a panic attack because of all the new social interactions. After everything that's happened, day to day activities were becoming harder to deal with. Samantha knew it was just something she was going to have to push through. Her nails dug into the bark of a pine tree as she cursed at the feelings. Glancing back at her SUV, she saw a figure in her passenger seat.

"Wha-?" She blinked in confusion and tried to clear her head.

It was a boy around her age. He had natural red hair and paler than normal skin. Then she saw his eyes. The were cloudy and white. He opened his mouth to scream, but there was no sound. His face then began to morph into something horrible. His mouth got bigger and bigger as the skin begin to tear around his lips and grew whiter.

Samantha let out a scream through the hand that covered her mouth.

His body began to disappear as if the wind was blowing him away.

She didn't know if he was completely gone by the time she had turned around to run.

Samantha was running the fastest she had ever ran. She had no idea where she was going, but she didn't care. All she wanted to do is get away from whatever was in her SUV. A burning sensation, like poison oak on the skin, stung her lungs and tears streamed down her cheeks.

'_Run. Just run._'

A shadow suddenly caught her eyes through the dimly lit trees and, somehow, she pumped her legs faster. Panic was boiling her blood and the sound of her heart beat was all she could hear. She scanned the woods around her, watching out for trees and the shadow that was following her.

Then, there it was again - the fleeting shadow that only seemed to show itself in her peripheral vision.

And then, beneath her feet there was nothing but air.

For a split second, the world froze. Just below her was a steep slope. Rocks that covered the slope had large exposed roots intertwined within themselves. The air got caught in her throat and then gravity over took her body.

Samantha's body toppled over the rocks and roots. In a violent tumble, her head slammed into one of the rocks and she then continued to cartwheel down until she hit flat ground. Warm liquid stained the side of her head and oozed down over her right ear. The world was spinning and a throb pulsated through her head. A rustle of leaves made her snap her head up. She saw nothing but black. She stumbled to a shaky stance as she listened to someone walk around not too far from her. Samantha was groggy and suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Stretching her arms out, she felt her way to a large rock where she sat. Her breathing was short and fast. It was almost like she couldn't breathe.

"Please, don't hurt me," she whispered.

Someone was watching her and she was sure of that.

Samantha could feel their eyes.

She quietly cried as she began to hear the footsteps walk in the opposite direction.

It was leaving.

Then there was silence.

It wasn't long after the silence had settled that she felt the nausea come back ten times worst.

In a millisecond, she was rushing off the rock to regurgitate beer and whatever she had eaten before the party. If there was anything she hated, it was throwing up. It burned her nose, made her eyes water and left the worst taste in her mouth. Especially alcohol.

She heaved deeply to throw up again. When she was done, she wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her sweater. She let her back fall against a tree and tried to slow down her breathing. '_What the actual fuck? What was going on?' _Samantha collapsed to the ground as she began to see bright spots in her vision.

Then, there was nothing but darkness.

Author's Note: Woohoo! Two chapters in one day! Please leave feedback to let me know what you think so far! It would be greatly appreciated! Thank you! Love you guys!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Silent Observer

Samantha didn't dream that night as she slept on the cold forest floor. It felt like as soon as she blacked out, it was morning. It didn't even feel like she got any sleep. Groaning loudly, she rolled onto her back to stare up at the sky. Samantha laid there for a few minutes to take in everything. The figure in her car…the sickness she felt…

What was going on?

Her entire body was sore and stiff as she sat up. Dew clung to her clothes as the morning birds sang. The sun was just beginning to rise, hardly casting light through the foggy forest. Samantha's head was buzzing with questions and confusion. Trying to push away any shakiness, she pulled herself off the ground and try to figure out where she was.

It took her nearly an hour to wander back to her navy vehicle. She checked the SUV three times to make sure the phantom figure wasn't still hanging around. Her purse was still in the passenger seat and the keys in the car ignition. After climbing into the driver's seat, she started the engine and sat in silence. None of this was feeling real. It all felt like a messed up dream.

On the way back to the dorms, Samantha left the radio off as the racing thoughts crowded her ears.

_Did all of that actually happen?_

_Maybe that Aaron guy and his friends drugged me? That could explain the man in my car…Maybe._

_Do date rape drugs make you hallucinate?_

_Should I talk to Chase? He'll probably not believe me…or worse, overreact._

When she got back to the dorm, she immediately grabbed a change of clothes and went to the showers. As she began to wash away any dirt, the boy's face was seared into her brain. She couldn't get him out of her mind. The images kept playing over and over again. Was she going crazy?

Frustrated tears mixed with the hot water as they ran down her cheeks. She placed her face into the water, hoping to drown the thoughts.

The day felt like a blur even though Samantha didn't do anything that day. It was the weekend, so there wasn't much to do besides catch up on homework. She really wasn't in the mood for anymore torture. A ghost was enough. Her mind felt foggy and nothing she did kept her entertained for a while.

The buzzing of her phone got Samantha's attention. Opening the text she got from Caleb, she read, 'Hey, we're going to be at Nicky's tonight. You can tag along if you want to.' She quickly replied to him and agreed to meet them there. Maybe being around people would help distract her. Grabbing a pair of jeans, an olive t-shirt, and black Converse, she started to get dress.

Samantha was nervous when she walked in to see everyone was there - including her brother. Reid and Tyler were playing pool, Sarah and Kate were at the table, Caleb and Chase were playing foosball and Pogue was at the bar grabbing food and a drink. Tyler was the first to notice her. "Hey, Samantha!" Then Reid's blue eyes followed and he waved her over. Not thinking twice, she strolled over and tried to play off her uneasiness. She's felt weird the entire day and she hoped it didn't show on her face. There were a couple more guys, including Aaron, that surrounded the table. Reid was obviously was trying to when a bet against them.

"How's it going, short-stuff?" Tyler asked as Reid went to line up his shot on the pool table.

Samantha sat on a stool a couple feet from the table, trying to ignore Aaron's stare. "Not too bad. Just had a boring day at the dorm." __You know, just sitting around questioning what reality is…__

Tyler's attention was redirected back to Reid as he took the shot. The opposite team groaned as Aaron angrily stared at Reid. "I bet you can't make a combo-shot," he challenged the blond.

Reid smirked and chalked the end of the pool stick. "You're on," he replied.

Samantha watched the two began to set up rules for the trick shot. Her focus began to fade as she scanned the room. There was no way she was going to be able to stay here long. She felt out of place for some reason and was still on edge. Around every corner felt like that thing was going to jump once again and this time not walk away. She couldn't shake the feeling. It felt like he never really left her alone after last night; Always trailing behind her like a shadow.

Tyler observed Samantha from the corner of his eyes. Her hand was gripping the purse strap that laid across her chest and never seemed to fully relax. He could sense something off with her energy. Last night he could tell she was nervous when first hanging out of the boys. Now she just seemed uncomfortable. She kept looking around as if she was waiting for someone. He didn't say anything as Reid and Aaron placed another bet. Tyler rolled his eyes at his friend. Of course he was probably going to use his powers to when the bet. Reid hated to lose against Aaron.

'I Love Rock n' Roll' by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts began to play loudly through the speakers. Samantha jumped at the sudden sound and mentally kicked herself. __Get a hold of yourself, Samantha.__ She swallowed her nerves and glanced up to see Tyler's eyes on her. She tried to give him a reassuring smile and got off the stool. "Hey, I'm going to step outside to get a fresh breath of air," she told him.

He nodded. "You okay? You just got here."

"I think the music is starting to give me a headache. It's loud," she replied and got another nod from slipped through people before reaching the exit. The cold air hit her flushed face and quickly made her way down the side alley. There were stacked kegs were to her right and a small storage shed was to the left. Samantha was gladly out of sight and took this moment to try to calm herself. At this point, this was getting ridiculous. Was she going to spend the rest of her weekend in fear? Even if she did see a ghost, a lot of people have seen a ghost and been fine. What was making this uncomfortable feeling constant? Why couldn't she just push the feeling away?

The bar door loudly flew open and she heard Aaron saying something. Then she heard Tyler, "He made the shot, dickhead. You bet he couldn't and he did." Samantha peeked through a small opening through the metal kegs to see Reid and Tyler standing in front of Aaron and his two friends.

"We ain't paying you shit so why don't you do something about it?" his spat back.

Caleb and Pogue came out of the same doors and descended down the stairs. "Is there a problem?" Caleb asked, getting all of their attentions. Now there was four against three. Surely Aaron would know they couldn't win if they started a fight?

Tyler and Reid glanced at their friend as Aaron pointed his finger at Caleb. "None of your damn business."

Reid ignored Aaron to reply to Caleb, "He bet I couldn't make a combo shot…" The blond let out a small chuckle. "And I did."

Glancing between Aaron and Reid, Caleb told them, "Why don't we forget about it, okay?"

A bald man with a white t shirt, plaid flannel, and blue jeans came stomping out with a bat."Take it somewhere else, ladies." The five men looked at each other for a second before he ordered them away. "_Now._"

Aaron threw up his hands in defeat. "Whatever you say, Nicky," he said through his teeth and then they left.

After Nicky went back into the bar, Caleb turned to Reid."What were you thinking?"

Reid was facing Caleb so all she could see was his back. "We're just playing them."

"Yeah, come on, Caleb. They were suckers for it," Tyler chimed in. Samantha rolled her eyes at the both of them. Boys will be boys…

Reid began to walk pass Caleb and said, "Why don't you stop being such a pussy."

Before Reid could get past Caleb, he stops Reid by grabbing his left shoulder. "I'm not finish with you yet," warned Caleb. In a quick motion, Reid grabs the arm Caleb has a hold on him with. Samantha couldn't tell what Reid was doing to Caleb, but his face began to show pain as Caleb's brown eyes closed. "Reid…Stop it."

Samantha watched Pogue and Tyler exchange concerned glances between each other. Caleb's eyes were open once more and his pearly white teeth showed as he gritted them together.

Then a small ring of what looked like fire appeared in his eyes before the brown and white was replaced by black. His entire eyes were now jet black.

Both of Caleb's palms were facing Reid when he shoved him. A ripple of energy could be seen when Reid's body left the ground. He went flying back into the metal siding that was only five feet away from her. She pressed herself against the building behind her and tried to stay hidden behind the kegs. _Please don't let him see me!_ She mentally begged and watched Reid take a second to stumble up from the ground. He let his back rest against the wall once he was up. Either she was out of view or Reid was too distracted by Caleb because he never seemed to take notice of her.

"What will it take for you to get it? It's addictive, you moron!" Caleb began and she carefully listened since everyone, beside Reid, was out of view. "You've seen what it can do you if you abuse it. Do you want that? That's your business, but if you use it in the open, like you did tonight, you risk exposing us all. And that, I won't let happen."

Reid pushes off the building and hovers his hand over a fallen keg that laid in front of him. Then it begins to levitate off the gravel. What were these guys? How the hell do they have powers? "My power is greater than yours," Caleb advised the blond.

"Not until you ascend," Reid hissed as the keg stayed lingering in the air.

"Alright, go for it tough guy," Caleb told him in a tired tone. He was obviously was tired of Reid. The tone remind Samantha of a parent done dealing with their problematic child.

Reid threw the large keg out of view and a second later, Reid was thrown back once again. He flew back into a stack of empty glass bottles before hitting the chain-link fence. Samantha covered her mouth from screaming and fell to the ground in a sitting position. Her back was pressed so hard against the building, it began to hurt. She couldn't see any of them, but she could still hear everything.

For the first time she heard Pogue protest. "Stop it! This is crazy!"

"It's for his own good," Caleb threw at him. Then his attention went back to Reid. "Keeping using like you did tonight, like you did last night, when you ascend you'll be good as dead." She heard broken glass fall and footsteps crunching over the gravel.

"So what? I fixed her car. Big deal!" Reid scuffed.

"Don't play me, Reid. I'm talking later and you know it."

Caleb's voice made Samantha's blood run cold. Was he talking about what she had experienced? How could they know? Were they involved?

"The hell I do!" Reid shouted before he dropped his voice lower. "I didn't use 'later'."

She heard him stomp walk away and then Tyler's voice could be heard. "It's not right using on each other, Caleb."

"Tell that to Reid," Caleb shot back.

What Samantha assumed to be Tyler's footsteps disappeared and then there was a few seconds of silence. "Reid is lying. It had to be him," Caleb commented.

"How do you know?" Pogue questioned in a doubtful tone.

Caleb sighed. "Because it wasn't you…Tyler doesn't have the balls to lie to me."

"Hey, you okay?" It was Sarah.

"Yeah." Caleb paused for a brief moment. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Let's go," she told him and he agreed. There were flashes of lightning and thunder soon followed after. She listened to them depart from the scene. The wind started to pick up and Samantha could tell it was about to start storming. However, she stayed where she was.

_What are they?_

Samantha kept staring at the stainless steel kegs - trying to comprehend everything. Where the hell did her and Chase move to? Was she going to tell him? A better question, how would she tell him? Her entire world was flipped upside down in less than 24 hours. Sure, the ghost was already hard to deal with, but now there were people with fucking powers. And the worst part was they were people she had befriended.

A pair of footsteps exiting the bar pulled Samantha out of her thoughts. _How long have I been sitting here?_ "God, he's such an asshole." It was Reid. Which means the other set of footsteps had to be Tyler. She heard Reid kick some broken glass. Tyler remained quiet as she could hear footsteps getting closer to her hiding spot. Reid came into her view and he eyed where Caleb had thrown him. Pressing her lips together, Samantha held her breath.

The few seconds Reid stared at the metal wall felt like forever to Samantha.

His eyes scanned the rest of the building as he continued down the alley. He stops and then sighs. "I don't know why he acts so high and mighty," Reid complained before turning around. That's when his eyes fell on Samantha.

Her eyes were wide and both hands were, once again, over her mouth. Both of them just stared at each other for a moment, still in shock.

Samantha could feel her lips quiver behind her palms and her body began to tremble.

Reid finally broke the silence with a low and concerned voice.

"How long have you been there?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Secrets

Samantha felt her voice get caught in the back of her throat.

"Who are you talking to?" Tyler asked and stepped into view. "Samantha? Wha-?" He looked between the two.

"How long have you been there?" Reid asked again and squatted, letting himself drop down to Samantha's eye level. "Are you okay?"

She swallowed hard and quietly replied, "I've been here since the fight. The fight between you and Caleb." Both their eyes grew with worry and they glanced at each other. "I-I won't tell anyone though. I promise," she told them as they turned back to her. Red colored her fair cheeks as she pressed her trembling body against the wall.

Reid's gaze softened. "Hey, we're not going to hurt you if that's what you're worried about," he told her.

He saw her blue eyes light up with surprise. "You're not?"

Reid chuckled and shook his head. "No. It just… complicates some things."

"We'll see how Caleb reacts," Tyler muttered over his shoulder.

Samantha's eyes darted to Tyler. "How will Caleb react?" she asked quickly.

Her nervousness made her cute; especially with her chin that quivered slightly. Reid couldn't help by admire her timid personality. She was nothing like her brother's bold ego. They were twins, but complete opposites. "We'll talk to him tomorrow."

"__Tomorrow?__" Tyler repeated in disbelief. "Are you sure tomorrow is a good idea?"

Reid rolled his eyes. "I really don't feel like talking to dickface tonight anymore," he hissed and stood up. He held out his hand for Samantha to grab. There was a moment of hesitation before she let him pull her up on her feet. "We'll deal with it tomorrow." Tyler finally agreed and Reid's attention went back to Samantha. For the first time, he was unsure what to say. "Are you okay to drive back to the dorm?"

Samantha nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine," she replied and cautiously leaned against the building. She guessed karma came to bite her back after lying about that headache. Her head was now pounding. Nausea thickened at the back of her throat as more thunder rolled over the town. It was almost like the night before in the woods. Samantha tried to push the sickness away and cover it with a small smile. But Reid could see through her attempt.

"I can drive your car back. You don't look so good." She shook her head in protest. "Keys," he ordered and held out his hand. Again, Samantha was hesitant, but still gave Reid her keys. She felt like she couldn't protest. Couldn't they just make her do whatever they want with their powers anyways? "What car do you drive?"

Samantha pointed down the alley towards the parking lot. "It's a navy RAV4."

"Okay. Just give me a second and I'll meet you there," Reid told her.

Samantha wondered what both of them were talking about as she walked back to the car. Maybe it was best she didn't know. There was no doubt she already knew too much. She didn't want to push her luck since she honestly didn't know these people. Sure, Samantha had become acquaintances with them. But not good friends. Everything was very confusing to say the least.

She only waited a minute or two before Reid emerged from the alleyway. He unlocked the car and they both climbed in. It began raining on their way back. They sat in silence for a couple minutes before Reid spoke up. "I wish you weren't scared."

Samantha's eyebrows creased in annoyance. "I'm not scared."

Reid chuckled. "You're bad at lying," he told her. She didn't say anything and turned back to the front windshield. "It means you're a good person."

Samantha glanced back at him. "Are you guys? Good, I mean."

Reid pulled into the dorm's parking lot and searched for a parking spot. "We're not evil," he said as he parked her vehicle. "We're just warlocks."

Her eyebrows rose with surprise. "__Warlocks?__" she repeated. "Like witches?"

"Pretty much, yeah," he replied. The rain continued to patter down the glass, creating a soft tempo. Samantha felt uncomfortable and unsure how to feel. Reid handed her back the keys. "Here."

"Thanks for driving me back." She took her keys and put them in her purse. Pausing for a moment, she chewed at her bottom lip to ponder.

"What is it?" Reid asked. "You make this face when your gears start turning."

"Why are you telling me all of this? I'm not even supposed to know about your powers."

Reid shrugged. "At this point, the cat is already out of the bag. The damage has already been done." He let out a frustrated sigh. "And I don't know how to go about this. Neither does Tyler. Very few people have known about us and our abilities," he admitted. Samantha watched his icy blue eyes glance over to her. Her lips slightly twitched to the side and a curious expression grew on her face. "The least Tyler and I wanted to do was…I don't know, make you feel better so you weren't freaked out."

"And that cat is already out of the bag too," she lightly joked. They both chuckled through the awkwardness. "I hardly know you guys and now I know your deepest secret. And it's the biggest secret out there too. This changes everything I thought I knew. Or at least, what I thought was just made up stories. Like, should I start questioning if werewolves are real too? What about Bigfoot?" Reid tried keeping himself from smiling and watched Samantha shake her head. "No," She corrected herself. "Everyone knows Bigfoot is real."

"Okay, Samantha, let's get back on topic," Reid told her.

She glared at him. "You and your boys are the one's making me question reality," Samantha threw back at him. " I just watched you and Caleb fight each other like it was something from Harry Potter. Do you expect me to be able to think through this with a clear head?"

"It was __nothing__ like Harry Potter," Reid defensively said with a pointing finger. "And you hardly know us because-"

"It hasn't even been 3 days since I got here," she cut him off. "Of course I hardly know you."

"Then why does it feel like we know your brother more than you?" he questioned. "He's sure become buddies with Caleb, Sarah, and Kate; which Pogue hates by the way."

Samantha rolled her eyes. "Obviously, my brother is better at socializing. I'm just not," she replied and leaned her head back against the seat.

"Again, you're bad at lying," Reid said and she huffed in frustration.

"I have problems, okay? I'm at a weird place in my life right now. Everything is new here - the people, the places, and school… I'm just trying to adjust. And now I have to worry about if I accidentally pissed off the people who may be the only friends I have right now," she explained with a tired tone. "The last 24 hours have been overwhelming."

Reid laughed. "Piss us off? You didn't piss us off. Like we said before, it just complicates things."

"But I wasn't supposed to know about-"

He cut her off. "Yes, you weren't. But this doesn't change anything. We still want you to come party with us and hang out. Play pool. Whatever. We'll just have to watch you when you drink," Reid said, eyeing her playfully. "I don't know how much you talk when you're drunk. You could blab to the whole school about us…"

Red flashed on her cheeks when his gaze stayed on her. "That won't be a problem. I'm not really the talkative type," she reassured.

"I know. It was a joke." Chuckling under his breath, Reid threw off his seatbelt. "So, are you still scared of us?"

"More like intimidated now. But, no. I'm not scared," she admitted while fiddling with the strap of her purse. "I'm still curious to know how Caleb and Pogue will react though."

"Eh, we'll have to see," he nonchalantly told her.

Then a thought struck Samantha. "So... Are werewolves real too? You never clarified."

Reid unlocked the SUV's doors. "Okay, I think that's enough for tonight."

Samantha cocked her right eyebrow with a suspicious look. "Is that a 'yes'?"

The blonde reached for the umbrella that was laying on the backseat and gave it to her. When Reid placed it in her hands, he noticed small nicks and scratches. His attention went up her face as she thanked him. On the top of her forehead, just out of view because of her hair, was a deep cut. He was surprised that he had just noticed it. It looked like it had just happened recently and there was some attempt to cover it with makeup. "What happened to your head? And your hands?"

Samantha's hands began to tingle as she stumbled over her words. "I tripped. It was on my way back to my car," she replied quickly. The look Reid gave her told her everything. __You're a bad liar.__ "What? I'm clumsy. It was actually super embarrassing…" This part was somewhat true. If she had been smart enough not to go sprinting through the woods at night, Samantha wouldn't have gone running off an embankment. Yikes. It was like the beginning of a horror movie and she was the dumb blonde who would get murdered first.

"Uh-huh. Okay," Reid replied and they both stepped out of the SUV. Samantha opened her umbrella. She made room for Reid to duck under it as they walked to the side door to the girl's dorm. There was a small area for them to seek shelter from the rain as they said their goodbyes.

"Again, thanks for driving me. I think I may be getting sick. I've been feeling a little off since last night," she told him and glanced at her cellphone to see it was getting close to eleven o'clock. "Oh, I forgot. I don't have your number."

Reid took the phone out of her hand and punched in his numbers. "Text me. So I have your number of course," he slyly replied.

All Samantha could do was shake her head with a smile. "Yeah, I'll make sure to text you," she agreed. "Well, goodnight, Reid."

Samantha went to open the door, but Reid had beat her to it. "Good night," he told as he held the door open. She slipped inside and waved goodbye.

Samantha went upstairs and started to get ready for bed. She slipped on some black leggings with a cozy, cream colored sweater. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she got under the covers. It was now raining heavier and the wind could be distantly heard. Samantha went to turn off the lamp that was on the side table, but stopped. Last nights memories played in her head as she retracted her hand. Settling comfortably under her quilt, the hair on her body stood up. Goosebumps and a shiver went over her. The white, cloudy eyes of the ghost were going to haunt her for a while. The idea of sleeping in the dark made her uneasy. She knew she had to sleep since school was tomorrow, but her anxiety was hard to keep at bay.

Samantha lightly ran her fingers over the sore cut on her head.

She then tucked the quilt under her chin and turned over to try and fall asleep.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you thought about this chapter! Thanks again!

~FriedPeaches


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Another Day

When Samantha first woke up, she laid in bed for a moment. The quilt was wrapped around her body and she could feel in it was going to be a cold day. Outside the window the clouds were hanging low. It was the perfect weather to stay indoors with a sweater and cup of hot tea. October was one of Samantha's favorite times of the year. Her and Chase were originally from north Georgia. She wasn't used to such cold fall temperatures this early, but it was a refreshing change. The heat and short cold seasons grows old quickly. She could still remember a couple of years ago when it hit 85 F in October. It's kind of hard to get into the Halloween spirit when you can wear shorts and sandals. They lived in a house that hugged Blue Ridge Lake and went to the best school in the surrounding area. Her adoptive parents were well off since her father was a lawyer and her mother was a doctor at the local hospital.

She threw off her covers and sat up in bed to rub her eyes sleepily. Like the night before, Samantha didn't dream. However, this time she felt somewhat rested. She could tell that she didn't sleep as well as she hoped for. Most of her muscles and head were still sore from the fall. Her finger brushed over the cut on the line of her hair as Reid's voice echoed in her memories. _"What happened to your head? And your hands?" _Chewing at her bottom lip, she wondered if she could go to Reid and ask about the figure in the woods. What if they were the ones that sent the ghost to follow her? Is that possible? They're warlocks after all… Could she truly trust them though? Like she had told Reid, Samantha hasn't been here long enough to know if they could truly be trusted. Then again, now that she knew their secret, Reid and Tyler were blindly trusting Samantha not to go blabbing her mouth to anyone. Not that anyone would probably believe her… For now it was probably just best to keep her head low while she still adjusted to her new life. The last four days had been a chaotic blur. She really didn't need all of this extra stress on top of the fact that she was still processing the loss of her parents in a terrible car accident. Her father had lost control in the rain and they went head on into a tree.

Letting out a tired sigh, she pushed herself off the bed and began to get ready for class. She slipped on the school's dark gray skirt, navy sweater vest, and white button up. The last school she went to also had a similar uniform style. To keep herself warm as possible, Samantha put on wool black knee-high socks and a dark blazer the school provided. She tied back half of her brown hair up, like she did on the first day of school, and she threw on some blush on her fair skin. Samantha wasn't the type to get overly dressed up and do her make up. She didn't mind fading into the background of people. Looking in the mirror, she noticed how curly her hair had actually become. She knew it was because of living so close the sea now. Samantha never realized how much it could have had an affect on her hair.

When Samantha exited the girl's dorm, the cold made her smile as she gazed over the orange and yellow foliage. In a way, it reminded her of the mountains she once roamed with her family. Her mother would have loved to see these colors. She adjusted the leather shoulder bag and walked to the community hall where she could grab a muffin and a cup of coffee before class. Taking a seat on a bench outside, she silently ate away at the blueberry pastry. The sun was just peaking over the horizon, slowly lightening up the blue hue from the night. Her coffee had a little bit of cream and cinnamon. The liquid warmed her chest as she listened to the birds begin to sing. She thought about eating a whole meal, but her stomach made the thought unappetizing. Samantha annoyingly chewed at her muffin, wondering why she still didn't feel good after that night at the party. Did the ghost curse her or something? But why? What did she do wrong?

Cursing under her breath, she got up to toss the last little bit of the muffin away. Sitting on top of all the trash was a local newspaper. It was from yesterday and the front headline was '**Student Found Dead of Overdose: Police Break Up Annual Spenser Party**'. There was the picture underneath the headline and it was of the ghost. Well…when he was alive. Samantha snatched the newspaper from the trash to begin reading over it. He was a student at Spenser Academy and the picture they used was of him dressed in the uniform.

Samantha's heart began to race and she licked her dry lips. Her world was beginning to spin as she folded up the paper. She wasn't sure what to make of everything. Were the boys somehow involved with his murder? Did they do it? Samantha began to walk quickly to class. She didn't notice any of the students that began to spill out of the dorms. Her heart and blood roared in her ears as she hurriedly let herself into the main entrance. What in the world had she gotten herself into? And of all the places for her parents to send her, it had to be here…

Her teacher was behind his desk, going over his lessons for the day while the rest of the classroom was mostly empty. She was the fifth student to take a seat. Setting down her coffee and newspaper, Samantha got comfortable in her chair at the end of the row. She unfolded the paper and began to skim over the words. At the top of the paper, she read '**Eastern seaboard**** braces for Tropical Storm**'. She had heard they just dealt with Tropical Storm Berly a couple of months ago and October felt a little late for any storms like this… Her eyes went back to the student she had seen at the woods. He wasn't completely a redhead like she had first thought. It was more of a vibrant strawberry blond when the light hit it. What if he had been trying to reach out to her? What if there was no ill intent from him? He never hurt her. He just followed her. But was he involved with the boys? She knew there was much more to their story of being warlocks. How deep did all of this go?

_Maybe I should go back and see if I can communicate with him…_She thought and wondered if that would help any. Or was it best just for her to mind her own business.

A sudden drop of a bag two seats down made Samantha quietly gasp and nearly jump out of her skin.

Pogue chuckled. "My bad," he apologized and took his seat as others began to do the same.

_Speak of the devil…_ Samantha thought and faked a small smile. "It's cool. I'm just not fully awake," She lied. Before Pogue could see what she was reading, Samantha put away the newspaper into her bag. She gathered her things for class and open up her notebook for notes.

"How do you like it here so far?" Pogue asked, trying to strike up conversation.

They hadn't really talked too much since she arrived here. She barely knew him. "It's…different," she hesitantly answered.

"That doesn't sound reassuring," Pogue joked and pushed back some of his long hair.

This was when Samantha really couldn't understand how all four of these gorgeous men could have found each other….Oh. Wait. Right, they're Warlocks. Maybe they made themselves super hot with magic? Is that how it works…? "I'm used to the south," she began to explain. "I'm used to the heat and mountains. You guys are right on the ocean and it actually gets cold here in the fall. It's nice."

"I always forget how miserable the south sounds," Pogue said.

Samantha shrugged. "You get used to it."

"Warm weather would be nicer for motorcycles though. The rain up here can get a little annoying." Samantha watched his green eyes sparkle with joy and that made some of the awkwardness fade.

"What kind do you have?" Samantha asked.

"A Ducati 749."

She nodded. "Oh nice."

Pogue looked curiously at her. "Do you know bikes?"

"Nope. Just like to pretend," she said with a smile. Pogue chuckled and rolled his eyes. "I do know some about cars and trucks though. My dad taught me what he could throughout middle school and some of high school."

"What's your dream car?"

With out hesitation she replied, "1965 Mustang Fastback. Preferably with black exterior paint and dark crimson leather seats for the interior. My dad used to have one. It was my favorite growing up."

Pogue nodded approvingly. "Good choice. Does he still have it?"

A lump got caught in Samantha's throat at the question. She turned away to look down at her notebook. "No, he doesn't have it anymore."

Thankfully that's when Caleb sat down in between her and Pogue, interrupting their conversation. "Morning," Caleb greeted them and Samantha smiled.

"Good morning," she replied back. That's when she noticed that Reid and Tyler were also in their seats a few rows away. So were Kate and Sarah. Reid lifted a hand to wave at Samantha. She waved back, but noticed the happy expression drop from his face when his attention went to Caleb. The irritated stare made it feel like there was heavy static in the air and she glanced at Caleb to see if he had noticed. The dark hair man opened up his notes and left his eyes on the front of the room.

"Good Morning," Mr. McAdam addressed the class. "Mr. Danvers, Provost Higgins requests the pleasure of your company after class." Caleb nodded and then him and Pogue gave each other a sideways glance. Just like them, Samantha wondered if it was about last night's fight.

"Now, we're going to study four American contemporary writers of fiction." Mr. McAdams turned to the chalkboard and began scribbling words. "First is Cormac McCarthy, then Tim O'Brien, Kent Haruf, and last but not least, Stephen King."

Reid's voice came from behind her. "Yeah! _Dreamcatcher_ was the shit!"

Most of the class began chuckling at the blond's comment and Samantha rolled her eyes. He was a very kind guy, but he was obviously still a teenager. Reid was probably the least mature out of the four. Which didn't surprise Samantha. "Thank you, Mr. Garwin, but no. My choice is _The Shining_."

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think so far of the story. I hope everyone is staying safe during this pandemic!

~FriedPeaches


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